Meet Little Acre, A New Company Bringing You Farm-To-Table Flowers

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it's a safe bet that people around the world will spend another $1.9 billion on flowers, as CNN found last year. But, beyond convenience and maybe a slight savings, what actually happens when you order delivery bouquets from a national florist? The fact is, those mass-produced arrangements might not be the best for the environment. Aside from the possibility that harsh pesticides were used to grow the blooms, those flowers often travel long distances, producing a lot of carbon dioxide in the process.

A better option? Choosing flowers sourced close to home. Now, with the launch of the online site Little Acre Flowers, DMV consumers who are feeling all the feelings — and want to express them — can order beautiful, locally-sourced bouquets. Each day, the site offers a new daily arrangement, sourced from blossoms that are fresh and in season. Customers have the option to order small, medium, or large bouquets that arrive in either a classic vase or a recycled burlap sack from fellow locals Mayorga Coffee. Prices range from $50 to $100 for the vase arrangements, and $40 to $90 for the bouquets.

Little Acre founder Tobie Whitman was an international-policy expert with USAID, focusing on international women's empowerment before turning her sights on eco-friendly flowers. “It was definitely scary to leave a career…I really identified personally with my profession," Whitman says. "But, I'm thrilled to be doing something that is socially and environmentally conscious, as well as beautiful.”

Even The New York Times has written about the growing trend of buying and selling local flowers, dubbing it the “farm-to-centerpiece movement.” Consumers are starting to want organic and locally grown flowers, similar to their growing demand for locally grown, organic food. And that, as evidenced by Little Acre's gorgeous creations, is a very good thing.